


After the Storm

by errantknightess



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Guilt, M/M, Making Out, Post-Battle, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-22
Updated: 2015-11-22
Packaged: 2018-05-02 21:14:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5263835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/errantknightess/pseuds/errantknightess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After bringing the Ark back from the brink of destruction, Allen takes a walk around to collect his thoughts. But the grim phantom lingering in his mind isn't the only thing that follows him there...</p>
            </blockquote>





	After the Storm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KittyBandit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyBandit/gifts).



> Happy birthday! :D

The Ark was quiet like an empty grave.

This peculiar stillness was the first thing that hit Allen when he slipped out of the piano room and back into the cobbled streets. Obviously, he hadn’t paid attention to it earlier, but now that the fever of the fight has passed, it felt oddly _too_ calm. He took a deep breath, in and out, a stale metallic taste of anxiety clinging to his palate. There was no change in the atmosphere as he walked out the door. No wind, not even the slightest breeze on his skin. The air everywhere in the Ark was the same, no matter if it appeared to be inside or outside. It was warm in a way you didn’t really notice, a kind of perpetual room temperature, so natural to the senses that it wasn’t until Allen thought about it that he realized this was _not_ how nature worked.

He paused in the doorway to spare a glance over his shoulder – half to make sure no one noticed him sneaking out, half to quench the unease gnawing in the pit of his stomach. The last few minutes had been the most terrifying of the whole three-hour ordeal. Rush. Dread. Confusion. None of the battles they engaged in here felt as hopeless as the fight against the clock he had to put up in that empty white room – all alone. At the time, Allen was sure he had already failed. Just a few minutes ago, he was driven to think his friends were lost forever. For a short, terrible moment, he was sure he will never see them again. But now they were all there, thank god – they were all back together.

His lips twitched into a smile as he heard the agitated voices talking over one another. He still didn’t know how, or why, and he would have gladly pounced at Cross this very instant, demanding answers, but now was not the time. They all needed a break, a moment to catch their breath and laugh the tension off. Which was why, once everyone reunited and the tears of relief have dried, Allen quietly left the group and headed for the same door he had let them in through. His head was heavy with questions and he didn’t want his troubled thoughts to weigh down on his friends’ happiness.

His boots echoed on the cobblestones as he walked down the bright, winding street. The houses that had crumbled before his eyes now rose along the path in neat lines, suffocatingly close. The street was so narrow that with his arms outstretched Allen could touch the buildings on both sides at once. He went ahead, fingertips skimming the surface as if he hoped to keep the houses from coming any closer. The blinding white walls that should have radiated heat from the eternal sunshine remained indifferent to the touch, smooth and without texture. His hand skipped as the wall gave way to a door, but Allen barely registered the change from stone to wood. Squinting against the glare, he turned his head up high to the Ark’s pretend sky, so aggressively blue that it surpassed the real thing and fell flat, like a giant screen of overly perfect stained glass. As a couple of birds flew over his head, Allen couldn’t help but wonder if they were also made up to add to this imitation, or if maybe they got there on accident when the gate had opened elsewhere.

He turned a corner on a whim, not really paying attention to where he was going. The street started to rise slightly, leading uphill in a flight of wide stairs, making the low buildings tower ahead of him and plunge everything in a grey, coolless shade. The silence rang in his ears, pressing uncomfortably on his eardrums, deep, numbing and unnerving. The sudden tug of unease in his gut finally made Allen look around. He scanned the dark niches and dead-ends that branched off here and there along the way. Nothing, not even a hint of a movement, but now his muscles tensed and he couldn’t shake that feeling anymore once he had let it sneak under his skin. The hair on the back of his head tingled; Allen whipped around so quickly he nearly snapped his neck. Nothing, again, and now it was starting to get downright suspicious. This place was a trap. It couldn’t be safe. Every second that went by without any accident was there just to lure them into a false sense of security – false like everything else here, carefully calculated and precisely programmed to play them right into the Noah’s hands. And even if the Noah were gone, Allen could still feel someone’s eyes on him, following his every step, even now, right behind him–

It was an instinct more than anything else, an electrical surge in his left hand as his Innocence sparked to life before he could as much as think about the danger. He took a swing, trailing the shine of the relentless sun reflected in the long claws, and if it wasn’t for a perfectly timed cry, it would have been too late to stop.

“Whoa, easy there, Allen! I come in peace!”

“Lavi!” Allen shook off from the spell, hand dropping to his side. With a heavy sigh, he leaned against the wall, letting Crown Clown dissolve and leave him unarmed. “Why are you sneaking up on me like that?”

“I was wondering where _you_ sneaked off to.” Still a little pale, Lavi took a step forward now that he wasn’t risking getting sliced. “Not enjoying our company?”

“Not as long as my master is among us,” Allen snorted, secretly grateful for a readily offered excuse. _Of course_ Lavi would notice. He must have followed him right after he left if he managed to find him so quickly. “I thought I could take a look around and make sure everything is all right.”

“Mind if I join you?” The glint in Lavi’s eye suggested he didn’t believe a word. Allen looked away, piercing his gaze into the far end of the street.

“If you want to,” he said slowly.

“Good.” Lavi slung his arm over Allen’s shoulders, pulling him close and already starting along the street. Allen tottered beside him, trying to fall into step with him as he got tugged ahead with no consideration for his shorter posture.

“Slow down.” He nudged Lavi in the side, pushing himself away from him enough to straighten up his stride. “This place is not falling apart anymore. We’re not in a hurry.”

“Can’t keep up with me, Beansprout?” Lavi beamed a ridiculous grin, which earned him another nudge. “All right, I get it. We can play tourists if ya want.” He fell back, matching his pace with Allen and once again tightening his arm around him. Allen sighed, but didn’t resist anymore as they resumed their walk through the dead town.

“It’s so silent here,” Lavi remarked as they passed under an archway and into an empty square. “So peaceful… Almost like somewhere you could go on vacation.”

“I would prefer a destination that’s not trying to kill me,” Allen laughed, a bitter note sneaking into his tone despite his better effort.

“Not Australia, then? Gotcha.” Lavi patted him on the arm, giving him a sideways glance. “But yeah, you’re right. It’s kinda giving me the creeps. Like a ghost town, you know?”

A ghost… The picture he was trying so hard to forget sprang into his mind again, empty eyes and a relentless grin, still and unreal like this whole place. Allen looked down, eyes trained on the cobblestones under his feet. Ever since he left the piano room, he tried his best to avoid glancing at the windows in fear of seeing that face again and having the strange, haunting melody unfold in his mind as if it had always been there.

“Allen?” Lavi’s finger poked him in the cheek. “Quit spacing out.”

“Oh?” Allen raised his head, still not meeting his friend’s eye. “Sorry. I’m just—I’m tired.”

“Alleeeeen,” Lavi chirped, running his thumb along Allen’s jaw to turn his face towards him. “Look at me. What’s eating you?”

“Nothing,” said Allen quickly – too quickly. He tried to turn away again, but Lavi’s hand held his head in place. “I just told you, Lavi, I’m tired.”

“And I just made it clear that I’m not buying it,” Lavi pressed, but the stubborn silence soon made him throw in the towel. “All right, don’t tell me. But you need to lighten up. And luckily, I know just what will help you.” He tapped Allen on the chin and dropped his arm again to hang loose, fingertips brushing over Allen’s chest as he started to sway left and right with uneven steps.

“What are you doing?” Allen kept his eyes on him, his eyebrows rising nearly all the way up to his hairline.

“New rules,” Lavi grunted, skipping from one foot to the other and pulling Allen with him. “Don’t step on the lines. Stay on the stones. The first one to step on a line loses. And you’ve already lost like seven times by now, so get on with it!”

Allen shook his head and rolled his eyes, but obliged. It soon proved to be a surprisingly demanding task. The cobblestones big enough to step on them safely were few and far between; that left Allen to resolve to a mix of gymnastics, ballet, and brute force, since Lavi was not keen on sharing his territory. For a considerable stretch of the street, both of them proceeded to skip, jump, tottle on tiptoes and tread on the other’s toes, each on the lookout to throw the opponent off balance. Allen was particularly efficient in getting under Lavi’s feet, stealing the perfect stepping stones right from under his nose. In retaliation, Lavi took to knocking into him, taking advantage of the situation whenever Allen was distracted thinking about his next move.

“You lose,” Lavi announced when finally they crashed into each other, immediately taking a hold of the other’s arms to keep from falling over.

“Excuse me?” Allen gasped into Lavi’s shoulder, just a tad breathless from all the leaping and laughing.

“You heard me.” Lavi pulled away just enough to look at him. “Hey, don’t pout like that. Second place’s good, too!”

“Not if there were only two players,” Allen snorted. “But I’m not going to argue about a silly game.”

“Wise move, only sore losers do that.” Lavi ruffled his hair and threw an arm around him once again, pulling him close to his side. Allen rushed to even out their pace, his arm swaying awkwardly between them, knuckles brushing against Lavi’s thigh.

“Oh,” he muttered as his hand slid over the empty holster. His throat tightened. “Lavi… What about your hammer?”

“Not to worry, I have it here.” Lavi patted a bundle tied up to his belt, but his voice fell a little. Allen watched him with the corner of his eye as pictures swirled back into his mind and reminded him of another thing he yearned to forget, the hammer shattering in his grip and the shock on Lavi’s face as he was falling down into the void. His mouth filled with a nasty, bitter taste and Allen felt himself choking up with guilt. He tried to push the images out of his head, but with Lavi standing right in front of him, that was impossible.

“I’m sorry,” he managed, looking away, the still air around them suddenly heavy to breath in.

“Not your fault.” Lavi shrugged. “I’ll be mailing the bill to that bastard– hey, Allen?” He cut himself off, his eye going wide with worry. Allen clenched his fists, trying with all he had to stop his body from shaking, but as he raised his head to finally look Lavi in the face, he knew he won’t be able to keep his emotions in check any longer. In the span of mere hours, he nearly lost all of them – and he came so close to losing Lavi not just once, but twice in such a short time. All because of his mistakes.

“I couldn’t save you. I thought you were gone,” he said hoarsely. He could already feel the tears stinging in his eyes, but before they flowed, Lavi reached out and pulled him into a tight hug, nearly squeezing the last of air out of his lungs.

“So now we’re even,” he whispered, his breath ghosting over Allen’s hair like a warm breeze he couldn’t feel anywhere else in the Ark. “God, Allen, I missed you so much.” His lips brushed against Allen’s forehead before he pulled away, just for a moment, only to press their faces together again as if even those seconds apart were too much after the days they had suffered.

 “No more dying, okay?” Lavi’s smile was just a hair’s breadth from Allen’s mouth, his lips twitching, and Allen nodded silently, breathing with Lavi’s breath as they both tried to blink back their tears.

“Good.” The word swept over Allen’s face with a warm touch, and before he knew it, Lavi’s lips were on his.

It lasted no longer than a single heartbeat – and Allen’s heart was beating very fast at that moment. The next instant, Lavi pulled back, his eye fluttering open as if he just woke up from a wonderful, confusing dream.

“I…” He trailed off, his arms loosening around Allen. Their faces still lingered close, and all it took was for Allen to lean in again.

Their bodies pressed together and this time when Lavi stepped back, it was only to pull Allen out of the glare of the fake sun. They fell against the wall in the shade of the nearby archway as Allen pushed Lavi to the smooth stone, his hands running up and down the redhead’s sides. Their rapid moves knocked them off balance, and they slowly slid down until they hit the ground, never breaking the kiss they’ve been yearning for so long. Allen relished the feeling, straddling Lavi’s hips, fingers clenched tight on the front of his jacket. Even with no space left between them, it felt as if they could never come close enough. His eyes falling closed as the emotions overtook him, he raised his hand to Lavi’s face, gently brushing the rough ridged joints over the skin before he tangled his fingers into the red hair.

Lavi sighed into his mouth and pulled him closer, tugging at what was left of his shredded uniform before he deepened the kiss. The tip of his tongue running over Allen’s lips was like a strike of lightning. This taste, this warmth, so new and yet so familiar, made Allen shiver all over his body. His chest nearly burst with heat as he opened his mouth to reciprocate the touch, letting Lavi in just for a short moment. A boiling wave of desire and affection washed over his mind, leaving no single thought standing. All that filled his head now was the boy right in front of him, closer than he could ever dare to imagine. Allen broke off, slowly moving to cover Lavi’s face with soft kisses, lips tracing gently over cuts and scratches on his skin as if he seeked to heal them with this fluttering touch.

“Allen…” Lavi’s voice came out ragged and trembling. He dipped his head forward, kissing down Allen’s jaw and neck, chapped lips sliding along his exposed collarbone, hot and wet. Allen inhaled sharply, fingers clenching into Lavi’s hair on reflex. The redhead’s breath tickled over his skin, warming him up everywhere it fell, so much that Allen felt like he was melting. He relaxed in the embrace and loosened his grip, coarse fingers lightly brushing the nape of Lavi’s neck. The quiet moan that Lavi gave him in return trembled against his shoulder; Allen felt his friend’s lips curling into a smile on his skin, and he ran his hand over his hairline again, squeezing another purr from the redhead’s throat.

Encouraged by the sound, he let his fingers roam, skimming over Lavi’s cheeks, neck, shoulders, and further down, leaving a trail of heated handprints everywhere he could reach. He had to feel this for himself, had to cover every inch of this body to make absolutely sure that he was _there_ , that his senses weren’t fooling him. Lavi shivered under the touch, pressing up to him, warm and breathing and _alive_ , his heart pounding so hard Allen could feel the throb against his chest, filling the silences between his own frantic heartbeats.

“I almost lost you so many times,” Allen whispered, his throat tight with tears as he buried his face in Lavi’s neck.

“But you always brought me back, didn’t you?” Lavi smiled into his hair and kissed him on the temple, his hand rubbing comforting circles on Allen’s back. “Looks like I’m not leaving if you don’t let me go.”

“I’ll never let go of you, Lavi.” The choked-up words sank into Lavi’s skin before Allen lifted his head and pressed their lips together again, pushing against him in a firm, bold kiss. There was resolve in his touch, and an edge of desperation, and a salty tinge of regret that seeped in between them when Allen’s tears finally rolled down.

“That’s good.” Lavi smiled, kissing up the wet trails on Allen’s cheek. “Because I don’t really wanna leave quite yet.”

Allen let out a trembling sigh, pressing his face against Lavi’s. They curled up together on the lukewarm stones, their legs tangled, their breaths mingling. Lavi’s hand snuck up to Allen’s thigh, tracing invisible patterns on the dirty torn up fabric. The stillness of the Ark weighed heavy on them, broken only by the rush of their own pulses, beating in turns like a steady dialogue of the hearts.


End file.
